On Russian TV, US mom urges waiver to adoption ban

Article by: DAVID CRARY

Associated Press

February 7, 2014 - 12:30 PM

NEW YORK — A Minnesota woman has gone on television in Russia with an emotional appeal for an exception to be made to that nation's year-old ban on adoptions by Americans. She and her husband adopted a boy from Russia in 2008 and refuse to give up long-standing efforts to also adopt their son's biological brother from a Russian orphanage.

At the close of the 11-minute segment Thursday on TV Dozhd, Russia's top independent station, Renee Thomas breaks into tears as she explains her family's determination.

"When we adopted Jack, they asked us to look after his best interest," she says, referring to her son's yearning to be united with his little brother, Nikolai. Jack is 8, Nikolai 5.

Thomas plans to write a personal appeal to Russian President Vladimir Putin.